The document summarizes key events and developments in the North African and Mediterranean theaters of World War 2. In North Africa, it outlines the timeline of major battles between Allied and Axis forces from 1940-1943, including Rommel's offensives and the critical Allied victory at El Alamein in 1942. In the Mediterranean, it describes major naval engagements and air operations around Malta and convoy routes. Tank warfare played a pivotal role in North Africa while air and naval power were decisive in the Mediterranean. Control of these regions tied up significant Axis resources and ultimately forced Germany to fight on multiple fronts.

1. WWII – North
African and
Mediterranean
theater
By:
Zac C
Thomas H
Jordan S

2. War in North Africa
Timeline
1940
• 10 June– Italy declares war on France and the UK
• 13 September – Italy invades Egypt
1941
• 9 February – British and Australian troops stop the advance on El Agheila and
go to help defend Greece
• 15 June – British and Indian troops launch unsuccessful Operation Battleaxe
• 3 December – Germany suffers heavy losses in both the Bardia road near
Menastir and Capuzzo
1942
• 21 January – Rommel’s 2nd offensive begins
• 13 June – Black Sunday – Axis causes heavy defeat against British armored
divisions
• 21 June – Tobruk captured by Allies
• 28 June – Egypt falls to Rommel
1943
• 22 April – Allies launch operation Vulcan
• 13 May – Axis surrenders in Tunisia
• 16 May – Allies launch operation strike

3. War in the Mediterranean
Timeline
1941
• 6 January - The Luftwaffe makes its first attacks on British convoys in the
Mediterranean
• 8 February - Force H from Malta bombards Genoa with little resistance from
Italian Navy or air force
• 5 March – Royal Navy starts escorting commonwealth troop convoys from
Egypt to Greece
• 29 March – Large battle between Italian and British forces. Britain comes out
on top
• 20 May – The battle of Crete begins
• 29 May – British troops evacuate Crete but are attacked and by a Luftwaffe
causing 200 casualties
• 2 December – Hitler issues directive No. 38 in an attempt to stop British supplies
reaching Malta or Libya
• 19 December - Italian forces attack the port in Alexandria, sinking a lot of
important ships.
1942
• 8 November – Allies invade Morroco and Algeria
1943
• 3 September – Invasion of Italy beggins
• 5 August – Allied forces land on the South of France, starting operation
Dragoon

4. The battle of El Alamein
• Consisted of 3 major battles between July and November 1942, and is
considered the turning point of the war in North Africa
• A large amount of fighting occurred in July but resulted in a stand still
• On the 27th July Australian forces took major losses due to German tanks
• On the 31st of August, German tanks made a attack onto the allied
forces, only to be pushed back and then mercilessly bombed. Due to this
the German forces went on the defensive
• On 23 October Australians were sent to fight up North, without the tanks
resulted in a huge week of fighting. This scared the Germans, so they sent
a large amount of forces to deal with it.
• The British tanks then attacked South, crippiling the German defense and
forcing them to withdrawl.
• Over this battle the Australian lost 6,000 troops.

5. The Siege of Malta
• In early 1940’s Malta was a very important naval base, but as Italy
got closer to the island people started wondering if it was safe
• It was then decided the main naval base would be located in
Alexandria, Egypt.
• While the allies tried to protect Malta, it did get bombed in early 1941
which was considered the first siege
• The second siege started when Hitler ordered the setting up of a new
Luftflotte 2 command on Sicily, which involved first taking the water
around Malta, and then bombing it. This occurred in early 1942
• The allies did all they could to help Malta, by sending planes to help
defend it. It was even described by some as the Verdun of World War
II
• The siege of Malta ended in late 1942

6. Important developments
in N.A
• North Africa used a huge amount of heavily armed
vehicles
• These included trucks and more importantly tanks
• Tanks won many battles, especially in the case of El
Alamein
• The main battles
Occurred around the
Famous German general
Irwin Rommel or the desert
Fox

7. Important development in
Mediterranean
• The Mediterranean also had many developments
• Many new styles or ways of attacking or defending were
created and used during the war time in this theater.
These often included air or naval bombing
• Bombing was a major part of conflict in the
Mediterranean, as well submarine and air defense
battles
• A number of naval
Battles occurred in WW2
In both the Atlantic as
Well as the Mediterranean

8. Influence on rest of war
• Forced Germany to fight on multiple front (which
they dislike)
• Meant that Germany and the allies had to put a
large amount of recourses into the theater in an
attempt to get ahead of their opponents
• Africa held many
Strategic points of which
Ted allies needed

9. Pictures of War Memorial
+ Video
• The Rats of Tobruk is the name given to the soldiers that held the Libyan against the
German Afrika corps during the siege of Tobruk which started on the 10th of April and
ended in November. The rats of Tobruk consisted of the 9th Australian Army Division which
contained 14,000 men led by General Leslie Morshead. The job at hand was to hold the
port from the Germans due to its strategic value for supplies and the Navy. The rats of
Tobruk’s main thinking was to whenever they attacked they would do the most damage
they could without getting caught. Which meant even if they only killed one soldier but
lost none they still did their job. One of the most famous examples of this was when the
rats of Tobruk snuck up and took down 3 light tanks 7 anti-tank guns and 11 machine
guns without a single injured or loss of a man.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdStH0x0kVM&feature=youtu.be

10. Pictures
• First picture soldier
displaying a v for
victory signifying the
win in Tobruk
• Second the Libyan port
of Tobruk essential for
the Allies supply lines.

11. Bibliography
IMAGES
• http://peopleus.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/seventy-two-years-ago-north-
african.html
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/30/a8075630.shtml
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/32/a2902132.shtml
• http://pdboyinsuffolk.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/camouflage-and-
colchester.html
INFORMATION
• http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-at-
sea/mediterranean/mediterranean-index-1941.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_African_Campaign_timeline
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Mediterranean
• https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/el_alamein/reading/
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/siege_malta_01.shtml
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_African_Campaign
• http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/worldwar2/theatres-of-
war/mediterranean/1939/